1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of child learning tools. More specifically, the present invention is related to an educational chair.
Part of growing up for a child is learning the practical things of getting dressed and ready for school, learning how to keep clothes neatly organized, and learn from instructions of parents. Many parents see these tasks as a necessary part of raising the child, but do not have a way to motivate the child to enjoy learning while he or she is growing up. Children often play with dolls, heroes, and cartoon or action figures and enjoy seeing these displayed on items of clothing, toiletries, bedspreads, and school supplies.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The prior art is replete with examples of learning tools for early education. Typically, these tools are directed to using animated characters, color and/or sound to teach younger children the basics with respect to speaking, walking and later, school related elements such as reading, writing and math.
A child""s chair is also known as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,586,747; 5,354,118; 5,507,551; 4,909,573; 5,941,599; D276,361; D410,795; D356,449; D265,440; and D206,710. Typically, these devices are used to support a child (e.g., car seat, booster seat, or high chair). Animated or facsimile shapes of characters (e.g., bears) are used to make the child more accepting of the chair itself. In some cases, the chair may provide additional learning features such as toilet training (D276,361) or telling time (D410,795). However, the prior art has failed to provide for a chair that teaches the basic skills needed in day-to-day routines (e.g., getting dressed) associated with a younger child.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieve or fulfills the purposes of the present invention.
This invention relates to a learning device for children in the form of a child""s chair. This device helps to teach a child various important tools for life, such as how to tell the time of day and the days of the week, how to organize a wardrobe and other objects into compartments, communicate in writing, and vocabulary.
The present invention chair acts as a storage and organizational unit for various articles of children""s clothing. The chair saves parents time in the morning getting a child ready for school. A child may learn vocabulary and how to prepare his or her wardrobe with various hooks, bars, and areas of the chair that correspond to placement of wardrobe items. For example, the back of the chair has bars and hooks to hold a child""s pants, shirt, or dress. The xe2x80x9cshoesxe2x80x9d on the front of the chair are actually hollow compartments wherein the child""s left and right shoes are stored. The child may prepare his or her wardrobe for the following day on the chair, with or without the help of a parent, prior to going to sleep.
The chair is meant to be more than a learning tool for children, it is meant to become the child""s daily xe2x80x9cbuddyxe2x80x9d and a communication tool between the parent and the child. The chair may have the ability to speak to a child through recorded messages set by an alarm clock. Messages may include pre-recorded personal announcements using the child""s name, such as announcements for time to wake up and get dressed, go to school, go to bed, take a bath, etc.
The learning chair has bodily features of fictional characters. The character portrayed by the chair is varied for the interest of the child, such as a boy""s or girl""s doll, action figure, cartoon, or robot visage. The face located on the top of the chair is adjustable in the appearance of mood. A child may express different feelings by changing the mood of the face to angry, silly, happy, or sad. The front of the chair""s back has a magnetic chalkboard for the parents and child to write messages to one another. All of these items are avenues of communication for the child to express and control emotions, exchange messages and receive regular instructions in a personalized and fun medium.
Parents can help place lettering on the front of the chair spelling out the child""s name, or a name given to the chair by a child. Lettering may also be placed on the chair to designate places to store items on hooks or in drawers and compartments.
The learning chair may be constructed of lightweight molded plastic material with sufficient strength to support a range of child""s weights with an appropriate safety factor built in. An alternative chair may also be constructed of wood with similar hollowed compartments, clothes hooks, and amenities built onto the chair. The face and name on the chair may be carved into the wooden chair instead of applied with labels. Other materials, such as metal or stone, or various combinations of any materials sturdy enough to form a chair, may be used in construction of a learning chair.